The first 10 km of the new Northern Road Axis of Crete (VOAK), between Neapoli and Agios Nikolaos in the Lasithi region, opened to traffic on 29 October 2026, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Christos Dimas said at the handover.
“Today we are pleased to be opening the first 10 kilometres to traffic,” the minister said on site. It is the first part of the Neapoli–Agios Nikolaos project to be handed over. The handover had been postponed several times since late summer.
About 4.5 km of the Neapoli–Agios Nikolaos project remain under construction, with completion expected within 2027. No month was given. Asked about the timetable, the minister said he could not predict it.
Elsewhere on the island, works are under way on the Chersonissos–Neapoli section and on the Chania–Heraklion section. The minister said a subsidence in the tunnel under construction at Selinari, on the Chersonissos–Neapoli section, is the subject of further scientific analysis. The minister has said new parts of the bypasses of Heraklion, Rethymno and Chania are due to open within 2026. Road safety works are being carried out on 131 km of the existing VOAK.
We reported on 1 October that traffic had returned to the Agios Nikolaos–Neapoli stretch after a works closure. Today’s handover is the formal opening of the new road.
What it means for buyers
For buyers looking at Agios Nikolaos and the Lasithi coast, the opening is the first visible result of the motorway upgrade in eastern Crete. The road west towards Heraklion and its airport still uses the existing VOAK between Neapoli and Chersonissos, where the new section is under construction and no completion date has been given. Access times from Heraklion will depend on that section.
What happens next
The remaining 4.5 km near Agios Nikolaos are expected within 2027. The minister has said new parts of the Heraklion, Rethymno and Chania bypasses are due to open within 2026.
Sources
- Statements by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Dimas, at the handover in Lasithi, 29 October 2026
- GreekProps: Crete VOAK: Agios Nikolaos–Neapoli road reopens after works closure, 1 October 2026
